DFWCG Links

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Event recap - Jazz Age Sunday Social

I have spent many years daydreaming about the fabulous 1920s and 30s parties held in other parts of the US, like the Jazz Age Lawn Party in New York and the Gatsby Summer Afternoon in Oakland. So I was absolutely thrilled when I learned that the Art Deco Society of Dallas had gotten together with Dallas Heritage Village to host the first ever Jazz Age Sunday Social. A number of members from the DFWCG had originally planned on meeting at the social to picnic and enjoy the festivities together, but unfortunately, many of our members ended up having conflicts and couldn't make it this year. However, this event was such a huge success that they have already decided to host it again next year, so I wanted to share some photos and a little recap of the activities so you can plan ahead and start making your own deco attire for 2015!

The turnout for this event was amazing, and it was such a charming scene around the bandstand as the musicians played and people danced, picnicked, and strolled around with their kids, dogs and wonderful antique bicycles.

There was a costume contest in the afternoon, and I thought everybody did a great job of pulling together vintage looks from a variety of modern and antique pieces. The winning couple had complimented their clothing with old bicycles, which was such a fun touch!

We also were able to tour many of the homes and the downtown buildings at Dallas Heritage Village, including the saloon where you can enjoy an ice cold root beer and relax while you play a round of cards or checkers.

There were a variety of fun booths and displays set up along the street, so you could shop, peruse some deco-inspired artwork, make crafts with your kids, or check out the lovely antique phonographs.

We also had a great time playing croquet. There was a very nice (and patient!) gentleman there who taught us the rules of the game and some general tips for strategy. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be, but so much fun!

But my favorite part about the Jazz Age Social was definitely the antique cars! There were some real beauties there, and it was so much fun taking photos of them and with them. The owners were super friendly too, and they were happy to answer questions, show off the engines, and several kind souls even allowed us to sit in their amazing vehicles. The cars ranged from the 1910s to the 1930s and they made the PERFECT accessory for our jazz age outfits.

One of the concerns that I heard from many of our costume guild members in the weeks leading up to the event is that they didn't have any 1920's costumes, or they weren't a big fan of that style. But one thing that stood out for me at this event is that 1910s and 1930s costumes would be equally appropriate, so there is really a wide variety of styles that we can all choose from. The cars, music, buildings, and activities all fit perfectly with both Edwardian costumes AND Deco fashions, and I know that the people at the social would welcome any variety of early 20th c. costume with open arms.

You can see more photos from our outing on my flickr, and I hope that seeing this will inspire you to start making plans for next year. The first Jazz Age Sunday Social was a ton of fun, and I know it will grow to be even bigger and better in 2015. Hats off to the organizers of this wonderful inaugural event!